Charissa Stastny – Author

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Monthly Archives: March 2018

I love fun books with characters I connect with. My Sister’s Intended definitely tickled my funny bone, and Prudence became one of my bosom friends (if you remember that sappy, but very descriptive phrase from Ann of Green Gables). Make sure to enter the blog tour giveaway at the end of this post. Here’s the blurb:

For as long as Prudence can remember, it has been understood that her sister will one day wed the eldest son of their nearest neighbor. Such an alliance will benefit both families and bring a great deal of joy to all parents involved.

Unfortunately, Prudence has never been able to feel as joyful. She believes her sister is mad to consider marrying a man she hardly knows, even if he will one day make her a countess. Titles and wealth shouldn’t factor into matters of the heart, and as an aspiring romance novelist, Prudence cannot fathom how anyone could even think of settling for less than love. She certainly wouldn’t, and she doesn’t want her sister to either.Continue reading →

Today’s books have some interesting features…as you can see from the title. Let’s jump right in and tell you about them, shall we?

Dragons of Alsace Farm

This was a super cool, touching book. The characters are flawed and have (or are) overcoming incredible challenges and demons. Noah ran away from the only family he’d ever cared about ten years ago when he felt betrayed by his uncle. When his uncle finally finds him and asks him to come home so he can make amends, Noah is unsure he wants to go back to his past. But when he meets his aunt and uncle’s neighbor, 80-year-old Agnes who has Alzheimer’s, he connects. She seems to love him and see his strengths, not just his weaknesses. When Agnes’s lost granddaughter returns to care for her grandmother, Noah and her don’t like each other. But that changes.

I really enjoyed getting into Agnes’s mind as she struggles with losing her mind and keeping her dignity. I absolutely adored Noah. He was such a flawed man, but treated Agnes so perfectly. And I loved seeing how him and Tayte’s relationship developed and broke down during the time they knew Continue reading →

Sometimes I read a book, and it goes beyond my expectations. I want to share the wonder (which I will at the end of this post in a giveaway). I’m an avid reader and love books for the sake of a good story. So even if it’s not the best book ever written, I still appreciate the time, skill, and imagination the author put into it. Stories feed my soul. I rarely read one I don’t like.

But then there are authors like Amy Harmon. My hero. Every book she puts out is like the most divine, decadent feast I can imagine. Her stories are not just dessert. They are solid food for my heart and soul. Nourishing. Filling. I don’t finish them and hunger. They linger in my heart for weeks, months, even years. Their messages change me. Inspire me. Make me want to be kinder, stronger, braver. Continue reading →

It’s time to play a little catch-up (not to be confused with ketchup). Here are a few of my favorite February reads. Most of these I rated 5’s on Amazon & Goodreads, but my Sweet Scale is a little more critical, so a lot are 4’s on here.

GIVEAWAY: I’m giving away a copy of the winner’s choice among these, so leave a comment to enter the drawing for March 16th.

Blemish by Jewel Allen

This historical fiction takes place in the Philippines (early 1900’s) in the Phillipines. The heroine has lived a life of luxury and has a beau ready to propose to her. But one blemish changes everything. Leprosy! Banished to a forsaken island with other lepers, Maristella must learn how to work and live in more primitive conditions as she adjusts to losing everything she cared for—family, privilege, love. As she meets Basilio, another leper in the colony, her heart opens to him. But lepers are forbidden to fall in love and marry. Continue reading →

If you’re interested, enter the rafflecopter at the end of this post to get your name in the drawing as many times as you’d like.

It’s pretty easy. All you have to do (for my entry, for example) is subscribe to my Stuck on Love newsletter (so if you already do that, check that one off for an easy giveaway entry). Continue reading →